It all burned down
by Skovko
Summary: Seth is working for Investigation Discovery and has made it to a new town to look into an old case involving a fire, two dead people and one survivor. He meets a woman on his first day there. She was a child when it all happened but she remembers the fire. When he asks for her help, she agrees. But is he ready for the information he finds?
1. There was a fire

There was a lot of things Seth was planning on doing now that he had arrived in this town. There were old articles to be read, people to interview, a story to be dug out in the open. Scrubbing the floor at the local Starbucks hadn't been in his plans but that was exactly what happened. He had been too busy running the information around in his brain that he didn't notice how close he had walked to the woman getting her coffee at the counter.

"Thank you," she said.

She turned around and slammed directly into Seth. Her iced coffee fell to the floor and made quite the mess. They both looked at the mess, then up at each other and started laughing. Something about her made Seth smile. Her long, golden blonde, wavy hair and her light grey eyes just did something to him.

"Sorry," he said.  
"Shit happens," she said.  
"What were you having?" He asked.  
"Iced white chocolate mocha with oat milk," she answered.  
"And no whipped cream, I see," he said.

He turned to the barista.

"Make me two of those, and hand us a bucket of water and two cloths," Seth said.  
"You don't need to clean that up," the barista said.  
"It's fine. This was our mess. Let us clean it up while you make our coffee," Seth said.

The barista handed Seth a bucket of water and two cloths. Seth and the woman squatted down and quickly cleaned the floor together. He kept stealing glances at her, and smiled when he caught her stealing glances back. They were done at the same time as the barista.

"On the house since you were so kind to clean," the barista said.  
"Thank you," Seth looked at the woman. "Care to join me?"  
"Sure," she said.

They found a corner table and sat down.

"I'm Seth," he introduced himself.  
"Marigold," she said.  
"Cute. It fits your hair. You got that gold look down," he said.  
"So I've been told," she smiled. "What brings you to our town, Seth?"  
"How do you know I'm new here?" He asked.  
"I know everything going around here," she held a dramatic pause. "Or the fact that you look like a lost cause out on a job with a way too big briefcase attached to your hip."

He looked down at his briefcase. He had his laptop and a lot of papers in that.

"I work for Investigation Discovery," he said.  
"I didn't hear about any big crime being committed here recently," she said.  
"Not recently," he smirked. "It's an old case I'm looking into."  
"Alone?" She asked.  
"At first. I always follow my gut instinct. Usually I'm right. If I'm right and find a lead, I'll call in my team and we'll make a program out of it. We've cracked many cases that weren't as straight forward as people were led to believe," he said.

She watched him curiously while sipping coffee from her straw.

"How old are you?" He asked.  
"29," she answered.  
"You would have been 9 then. You probably don't remember the case," he said.  
"Try me," she said.  
"There was a house that burned down. Both parents died in the fire but their daughter survived. Her room was in the basement and their room was on the first floor. She survived by crawling out of the window. Her parents didn't get a chance. The fire started close to the staircase. They said it was a short circuit that caused the fire and closed the case. Of course I don't believe that or I wouldn't be here," he said.

She kept sipping on her coffee while listening to him. She finally let go off the straw, licked her lips and put the coffee down.

"So you think someone started it?" She asked.  
"I do," he answered.  
"Why?" She asked.  
"That's what I'd like to find out," he chuckled. "Come to think about it, she was 9 too. Her name was being kept out of the medias for protection. I heard she was adopted somewhere. Did you happen to go to school with someone that suddenly disappeared around that time?"  
"No," she said.  
"It was a long time ago. You probably don't remember," he said.  
"No, I remember just fine. Everyone remembers that fire. It was the biggest tragedy of our town. Two people burned alive and leaving a girl an orphan. It was a sad story," she said.

He smiled and sipped on his own coffee. She might not have known the daughter of the house but she did remember the fire. Maybe she knew who he could talk to about this.

"Would you like to help me with this case?" He asked.  
"What do you need?" She asked.  
"I'm not sure yet. Names, probably. People I can talk to on or off the record," he said. "Something about this case doesn't add up. Like, why was her room in the basement? I looked at the drawing of that house. Kitchen and living room in the middle. Two rooms and a bathroom on top. The basement wasn't meant for anyone to be living in but she was down there. Why wasn't she in the other room up on the first floor next to her parents?"

She leaned back with an amused smile on her face. He stopped talking and smiled back.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I tend to get caught up in my own head when I smell a rat."  
"Do you have a room at the hotel?" She asked.  
"No, I rented a small vacation house where I can be without being disturbed. I rented it for a month so far. I might leave earlier, I might stay longer. That depends on if I get anything on this story," he said.

She emptied her coffee and smiled at him again. He could get used to seeing her smile. He wouldn't mind if she stayed around for all the time he was in this town. Something about her just made him want more. More talking, more smiles, more everything.

"Can we go to your place?" She asked.  
"I guess," he answered. "I was thinking about starting at the library and looking at old articles."  
"And I was thinking that you'll feed me lunch," she smirked.  
"Oh," he started grinning. "Sure thing, goldie. Or do you prefer Marigold?"  
"I don't care, to be honest," she said.  
"I like goldie," he smiled. "Like you're made of gold and worth way more than any other woman."  
"Are you hitting on me?" She asked.  
"Maybe," he smirked.

They left Starbucks and walked to where he had parked his car. They got in, and he drove them to his vacation house. It was a small house. Bathroom, kitchen, bedroom and living room, and a small garden. He didn't need anything else. He just needed a place where he could sleep and work.

"I just arrived this morning. I haven't bought any food yet. We should have bought some sandwiches or something. This was stupid on my part. I'm sorry," he said.  
"Seth," she smirked. "I didn't come here for food."  
"What did you come for?" He asked.

She placed her arms around his neck.

"What do you think?" She asked.

She pulled him down and kissed him. As soon as he felt her tongue brush against his, he let out a low growl, wrapped his arms around her and started dragging her through the living room. They didn't even make it to the bedroom. They tumbled down on the couch where they tore each other's clothes off and wasted no time in exploring each other's bodies.

"Wait," he stopped her.

He reached for his wallet in his jeans and fished out a condom. She smiled and nodded her approval. At least he had brain cells enough to think clearly in the heated moment. He quickly rolled the condom on, sat back against the back rest and pulled her up on his lap.

"Now where were we?" He smirked.

She kissed him again and fumbled between them. She grabbed his dick and sank down on it. He hissed into the kiss and grabbed her hips. He helped her move up and down while she rode him to perfection. She broke the kiss and tilted her head back in a soft cry. He was mesmerized as he watched her come undone. He squeezed her hips tight and came too. She collapsed forward and rested her head on his shoulder. His hands moved up and down her back, caressing her sweaty skin while he listened to her heavy breathing.

"We can still drive back to town and get lunch," he offered.

She let out a laugh and raised her head. She shook her head no, pecked his lips and crawled off him. While he removed the condom, she already started the process of getting dressed. She was fast back in her clothes while he still remained naked.

"This was fun," she smiled at him. "I'll see you around."  
"Wait, you're leaving?" He asked.

He had not expected that. He stood up, grabbed his briefs and quickly pulled them on in case he had to run after her. He didn't want her to leave without at least agreeing to meet him again.

"You came for a case. Not to get laid. I'll be in your way," she said.  
"You said you'd help me," he crossed his arms and smirked. "Backing down on your promise? Because I'm down for punishing a bad girl if you wanna play that game."

She giggled and shook her head. The next words out of his mouth left him stunned for a second.

"My room was in the basement because my father used the other room upstairs as his office," she said.

His jaw dropped and he stared at her for a few seconds.

"Your room?" He asked. "You're the daughter that survived?"  
"I am," she sighed. "I wasn't adopted but I was taken in by two brothers. Mark and Kane. I live with Mark. Kane lives next door."  
"Mark Calaway? The sherif?" He asked shocked. "And Kane is a firefighter, right? I remember their names from some of the articles."  
"They won't talk to you. They won't dig into that old case. In their world ripping up old wounds will only cause more pain," she said.  
"And in your world?" He asked.

She walked up to him, grabbed him behind the neck and pulled him down for a short kiss.

"I'm very protected in my world," she said.  
"Really?" He smirked. "Because I'm sure wannabe daddy 1 and 2 have no idea what you're up to running off with a stranger like me."  
"They know what they need to know," she smirked back. "I'll be seeing you around, Seth."  
"You bet your ass, you will," he promised. "I'll find you. It's my job to find people and things that want to be hidden."  
"I can't wait," she grinned.

He let her walk out of the house without chasing after her and demanding a phone number or anything. He was sure he would find her. If anything else failed, the sheriff was known by a lot of people. He could always find out where Mark Calaway lived. For now she could leave.

He needed a shower and then he would head back to town for lunch and a visit to the library. He couldn't lose track of why he was there. She might be involved in this but he still had a case to look into. It wasn't like he had deceived her. She knew before going back with him who he was and what he was doing there.


	2. Evil woman

Seth walked into Starbucks next days. Immediately he started smiling when his eyes landed on Marigold sitting down at the corner table they had been sitting at the day before. She smiled back at him as if she had been waiting for him. He walked to the counter, placed an order and walked down to greet her while the barista made his coffee.

"Hi, goldie," he said.  
"Took you long enough," she said.  
"You were waiting for me?" He asked.  
"I've been here since they opened. I broke my record of how many coffees I can drink in an hour," she said.  
"You're crazy," he chuckled. "But it's kinda cute."

The barista came over and placed a cup of coffee down in front of Seth.

"No iced coffee today?" Marigold asked.  
"Not this early," Seth chuckled. "I need my cappuccino fix to wake up."  
"You slept in?" She asked.  
"I was up half the night researching," he answered.  
"Did you find anything useful?" She asked.  
"Nothing that I didn't already know. Your new found daddies worked together to investigate the fire. Short circuit. I'm still not buying that," he said.

She leaned back in the chair and cracked a sideways smile.

"Are you calling them liars?" She asked.

He knew he had to tread careful. He wasn't about to call anyone anything. Not until he knew more.

"No," he answered. "But I do think someone was in that house starting the fire and making it look like an accident. Someone who's damn good at their job if Mark and Kane didn't catch on."  
"If someone is that good at starting fires, wouldn't there be more? You don't get that lucky in your first try," she said.

His eyes lid up. He hadn't even been thinking in that direction.

"You're right. You're absolutely right," he chuckled. "Guess I'll be looking into other fires in this state around that time. I'll be looking in a time span of ten years. Five years before, five years after. See if I can find a pattern."  
"I can help," she said.  
"Are you sure? It won't hurt too much for you to be involved in this?" He asked.  
"It was 20 years ago. I hardly remember anything from my pre-fire life. I'm okay, Seth. I'm not sad or angry at this point in life. The past is the past. I can't change it. Nothing I do will bring them back. I learned to live with it," she said.

He broke out in a wide smile. She really was all he could hope for to find for this case. The long lost daughter that no one knew the name or the face of. He wasn't gonna expose her without her permission. For now he liked that he was the only outsider who knew. There was still something about her that he wanted more of. He didn't feel like he wanted to share her with the world.

"What do you remember from that night?" He asked.  
"Nothing, actually. I woke up in the hospital and I was told there was a fire and that I had climbed out through the window to save myself. I inhaled a lot of smoke and passed out on the grass. My brain protected me from remembering," she said.  
"What if someone carried you outside?" He asked.  
"Who?" She asked.  
"Whoever started the fire might not have it in him to kill a child," he said.  
"What makes you so certain it's a he?" She smirked.  
"Ah, I see what you're trying to do," he smirked back. "Alright, I take that one on me. No sexism here. It could have been a she. But for the record, most pyromaniacs are men. Around 90% actually."  
"Good to know," she chuckled.

He grabbed his coffee and stood up.

"Let's go to the library. We got a lot of work to do with finding fires," he said.

They spent a few hours at the library but no fire looked like the one that had happened in her childhood home.

"Maybe look outside of the state," she said.  
"Maybe," he sighed. "I don't know. This case just feels odd. Nothing is adding up."

He leaned forward on the table and took her hand.

"We need a break. Tell me about yourself. What do you do for a living?" He asked.  
"I'm a spoiled brat so I don't need to work," she grinned.

He didn't know what to respond to that. She started laughing and shook her head.

"My father was a well known author. He wrote children's books. If you go to the children's section of the library, you'll see his photo on the wall. He was a hero to this town. My mother was a model in her young days. After having me, she worked as a talent scout instead. Both of them made a lot of money. Money that I got when I turned 18," she said.

She squeezed his hand and leaned closer.

"I work. Sometimes. I have a hard time keeping a job. Someone always finds out who I am and the gossip starts. I get bullied or ignored or disrespected. Take your pick. So I quit. I can't fight it. And when I start getting bored at home, I find another job, and the circle repeats itself," she said.

He grabbed her chin in a soft grip and pecked her lips.

"What if I hire you to help me while I'm here?" He asked.  
"I don't want your money," she answered. "But you can pay in other ways."

She smirked at him and bit her lip. He couldn't help but smirk back. He leaned in again and kissed her deeply.

"What are you doing to me, naughty woman?" He whispered. "You're gonna be the death of me."  
"I promise you'll be alive when you leave this town," she said.  
"Wrong choice of words. My bad," he said.  
"I'm not mad," she said. "I'm hungry though. This time around I would actually like to get lunch."  
"Take me somewhere good," he said.

30 minutes later he found himself inside a burger joint. He had finished a jalapenos burger while she had only had fries. He was sipping on a strawberry milkshake when he suddenly felt her hand on his crotch.

"What are you doing?" He hissed lowly.  
"Ssh," she moved closer. "Don't make a scene."

She opened his jeans and stuck her hand inside.

"How am I...?" He lost his words when she grabbed his dick. "Oh, fuck!"

She smirked at him while she slowly moved her hand so that no one would catch on to what she was doing. He pressed his lips together to avoid moaning and drawing attention to them. The excitement of being in public had him on the edge in no time.

"I'm close," he whispered. "Do you want me to cum all over myself?"

She let go of his dick with a smirk. She stood up without a word and walked up to the counter to pay for their food. Meanwhile he tucked his still erect dick away. It was killing him. He wanted a release. Preferably inside her. She turned around, winked at him and headed for the bathrooms in the back. He got up from his seat and hurried after her. He grabbed her in the hallway and pulled her into the nearest bathroom, locked the door and pushed her up against it.

"Evil woman!" He growled.  
"Didn't you like it?" She asked.  
"You know damn well I did," he answered. "And now you're gonna finish what you started."

He pulled out his wallet, grabbed the condom he had moved from his suitcase to replace the other one yesterday, and threw the wallet on the floor. He pushed his jeans and briefs down. His dick was still rock hard. He rolled on the condom. He pulled her dress up to her hips, grabbed her and lifted her up. He managed to pull her panties to the side and entered her.

"Seth!" She moaned.  
"Be quiet!" He growled.

He held her up with one hand and placed his other hand over her mouth.

"We need to do this fast before we get caught," he said.

He fucked her as fast as he could. She pressed her nails into his shoulders and came in a strangled cry before a minute had passed. He gritted his teeth to keep himself from moaning when he released himself seconds after her. He grinned at her and put her back down. They quickly fixed their clothes. He threw the condom in the trash, grabbed his wallet from the floor and unlocked the door. They hurried out of the burger joint. He took her hand and laced their fingers together.

"I'm not gonna get any work done with you around me," he chuckled.  
"Do you want me to leave you alone?" She asked.  
"Hell, no!" He pulled her up against his side. "I want you to stick around although I can already tell it's gonna be tough leaving once my job here is done. I'm already starting to fall for you."  
"I'm falling for you too," she said. "What are we gonna do if we continue falling?"  
"Long distance relationship? Some people make it work," he suggested. "But we don't need to worry about that now. Let's just enjoy our time together and see where it takes us."


	3. Dinner tomorrow

"Where are you going, young lady?" Mark asked.

Marigold turned around to see Mark leaning his shoulder up against the door frame while having his arms crossed. There was a playful smile on his lips and the tone in his voice had been light so she knew she wasn't in any trouble.

"Just out," she answered.  
"And where is out?" He asked.  
"Starbucks. Maybe some shopping afterwards," she answered.  
"You've been doing an awful lot of shopping lately," he said. "Yet you fail to return home with any bags."  
"Just window shopping," she shrugged.  
"Do you honestly expect me to believe that?" He asked. "You've been sneaking around for two weeks now and I wanna know where you're going."

Had it really already been two weeks since she first met Seth? The days flew by fast when she was with him. He still hadn't found a lead in the case but he refused to give up. She suspected he only tried this hard because he didn't want to leave town after having met her. She couldn't tell Mark all that. He and Kane were overly protective of her.

"I made a new friend. We hang out together," she said.  
"Who is she?" He asked.  
"Just someone from work," she answered.  
"You don't work these days," he said.  
"My last work. We ran into each other at Starbucks and we've been hanging out since," she said.

She stayed as close to the truth as possible. She knew a potential boyfriend scared Mark and Kane. Her troubled past was a lot to take in for anyone. They always tried their hardest not to tell people about it. They wanted it buried for good. The past should stay in the past according to them. They never wanted to talk about it.

"Alright, invite her over for dinner tomorrow," he said.  
"I don't think she can make it," she said.  
"I don't care. You'll invite her over for dinner so we can see what type of friend you're hanging around. I wanna make sure you're safe and that we can trust her," he said.  
"We?" She sneered. "She's my friend. You're not gonna hang out with her anyway."  
"Dinner! Tomorrow!" He demanded. "End of discussion."

She walked to Seth's home. He was expecting her. He greeted her with a kiss and a cup of coffee.

"You don't seem too happy today," he said.  
"Mark wants you to come over for dinner," she said.  
"When?" He asked.  
"Tomorrow," she answered.  
"What time should I be there?" He asked.

She stared at him. He was actually gonna show up for dinner.

"You can't be serious. This is still very new and you're leaving again," she said.  
"What better way of stating that we're serious? I might leave again but we can travel back and forward until one of us is ready to move state," he said.  
"You don't get it. He thinks you're just a friend," she said.  
"So tell him the truth," he said.  
"He thinks you're a woman!" She yelled. "You don't fucking get it, Seth! I'm not allowed to date. They think I'm still a virgin, for crying out loud. I've been living this secret life for so long and they don't know. I never bring anyone home. I don't even have any fucking friends!"

Her yelling didn't have the desired effect. She wanted to push him away. Instead he moved up to her and pulled her close.

"You're 29. You're allowed to date whoever you want," he said.  
"Not according to them. You forget he's the sheriff. He'll hunt me down all over town. If he knows about you, he's gonna make your life a living hell," she said.  
"It can't be that bad," he chuckled.  
"They don't want anyone to know about my past. He even changed my surname to Calaway when I was young so that no one would make the connection to my parents. I'm not allowed to mention the fire or anything from my past," she said.  
"They're just trying to protect you," he said.

He leaned down and pecked her lips a few times until he felt her relax up against him.

"I'm gonna come by tomorrow. They can throw whatever they want at me. I'm used to that in my line of work. They're not gonna scare me away," he said.  
"Why couldn't you just be like the others?" She asked lowly.  
"What did they do?" He asked.  
"I didn't fall for them," she answered.  
"Tough shit, goldie," he chuckled. "You're mine now."


	4. Monsters

Marigold chewed nervously on a nail. She couldn't believe she had allowed Seth to agree to come to dinner. Mark and Kane had everything ready. They were looking as mean as they could. Mark in leather pants. Kane in black jeans. Both of them in normal t-shirts so their muscles were on display. She herself wore a pair of light blue jeans and a yellow and white striped t-shirt.

"Water or wine?" Kane asked.  
"Just put both on the table," Mark answered.

The door bell rang. Marigold's heart skipped a beat. Up until that moment she had kind of hoped that Seth would chicken out.

"Aren't you gonna let your friend in?" Mark asked.  
"Of course," Marigold answered.

She walked out and opened the door for Seth. She was greeted with a smile and a kiss. She took a deep breath, took his hand and escorted him into the living room. Both Mark and Kane stared in disbelief.

"A guy?" Mark asked.  
"Mark, Kane, this is Seth," Marigold said.  
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Seth said.  
"A guy?" Mark repeated. "A fucking guy?"  
"What were you thinking?" Kane asked.  
"Just give him a chance," Marigold said.  
"No!" Mark growled.

Mark and Kane both crossed their arms and stared Seth down. The message was clear already. Seth wasn't welcome in their home.

"I got everything I need in order to hunt you down, boy," Mark warned. "Stay the fuck away from Marigold."  
"But..." Seth started.  
"No!" Kane cut Seth off. "Get out. Stay away from her."

Seth looked at Marigold.

"I better leave," Seth said.  
"I'll escort you out," Marigold said.  
"A guy?" Mark talked to Kane. "What the fuck was she thinking? Didn't we raise her better than that?"

Marigold ignored the two men's talk. She walked Seth out to his car. To his surprise she got in on the passenger side.

"Goldie?" He asked.  
"Drive before they notice," she said.

He started the car and hit the gas. He wasn't gonna let her ask him twice. They drove in silence until they reached the vacation home he was renting.

"So that was awkward," he said once they were inside.  
"I warned you," she said.  
"I didn't think it would be that bad. I should have listened to you," he said.  
"Yes, you should have," she sighed. "You do realize we can't see each other anymore, right?"  
"Don't say that!" He grabbed her face and kissed her hard. "Don't fucking say that!"

He caressed her cheeks while searching her eyes for answers she couldn't give. He could only hope she would fight for him despite not knowing him well. It felt right to him to be with her. She had to feel it too. He refused to believe otherwise.

"I found something," he said.  
"What?" She asked.  
"Remember how I think someone carried you out of there before starting the fire?" He asked.  
"Yes?" She asked.  
"What if it was Mark or Kane?" He asked.  
"You gotta be shitting me," she said.  
"No, take a look at this," he said.

He took her hand and pulled her to the couch. On the coffee table were the drawings of her childhood home. He pointed at her room in the basement.

"I never thought too much about the window, but look. Look at the measurement. It's too small for anyone to crawl through. You couldn't have gotten out that way," he said.  
"I was a small child," she said.  
"Not that small. Maybe you could push an infant through but not a 9 year old child," he said.

She looked at the drawings and shook her head.

"Just let it be," she said.  
"No, I'm right. I know I'm right. Someone started that fire and got you out of there," he said. "Someone burned down your house and killed your parents. Someone..."  
"I started that fire!" She screamed.

The room dropped silent for two seconds while they stared at each other.

"You what?" He finally whispered.  
"I started that fire," she repeated. "Mark and Kane covered it up to protect me. They've been filling me with lies about it being an accident all these years. I'm not allowed to remember what I did, but I remember everything. I started that fire at the bottom of the stairs and then I walked out of the house and watched it burn."

He blinked a few times while taking in her words. She didn't seem evil to him. There was a deeper story there that he didn't know about.

"Why?" he asked.  
"My father was a god damn hero to this town but to me he was a monster. They both were. I was beaten and molested for as long as I remember. My room was in the basement because I was an animal according to them. I didn't belong in the family. I belonged down in the basement with the cockroaches and the filth. His office upstairs was a torture champer to me. Do you know how many times I was made to lie on that desk while he did whatever he wanted to me? While my mother stood by and watched? And if my father didn't feel like it, she would use toys because one way or another, I had to be punished for their sick entertainment," she said.

He blinked again. Everything had changed so fast. She had started a fire. She had killed her parents. But it had all been done to protect herself.

"I didn't know," he whispered.  
"No one fucking knows!" She growled. "No one but Mark and Kane. I told Mark everything that night. I was sure I was gonna go to jail and I didn't mind. I just wanted the monsters gone. Mark took me in along with Kane. They covered it up, tried to brainwash me into not remembering, and they keep a firm grip around my throat to avoid me getting close to anybody so I'll never tell anyone anything."

She stood up and stared at him as he remained seated on the couch.

"There's your story, Seth. Use it however the fuck you want. I don't care anymore," she said.

She headed for the door. He jumped up from the couch and ran after her. He reached her before she could open the door.

"Please, wait," he pleaded. "Two minutes. Give me two minutes to prove it."  
"Prove what?" She asked.  
"I don't know. To prove myself and that I'm serious. Just listen. I'm calling my boss," he said.

He took out his phone and called someone. The call was answered after two rings. She could only hear his side of the conversation but that was all she needed to hear.

"Hi, it's Seth," he started. "You know how my gut instinct only fails once in a blue moon, right? Turns out this is one of those times. There's no story here. Everything went by the book. It was a short circuit. A tragic accident that left a young girl without her parents. She doesn't even live here anymore. No one knows where she was adopted to. I'm driving home tomorrow. I'll be back at work Monday."

He hung up and looked at her. He had just let go of this entire case because of her.

"Thank you," she said.  
"Don't thank me yet," he smiled. "Go home and pack. Call me when you're done and I'll pick you up."  
"Where are we going?" She asked.  
"You're moving to Iowa," he smirked. "They're keeping you a prisoner in your own life. Time to say thank you and goodbye to them. You need to start living for yourself."  
"And that starts with you?" She asked.  
"Yes, that starts with me," he said. "Let me take you away, goldie. You get to start your life over in another state where no one knows you. No more bullying and whispers in the corners. Just you and me together. I can even get you a job at Discovery. We always need new film crew. I can train you personally."

He leaned down and kissed her.

"What do you say?" He asked.  
"Yes," she answered.  
"Do you want me to drive you home?" He asked.  
"No, I'm gonna walk. I need the air to clear my head before facing them. I'll call you once I'm ready," she said.  
"Great," he kissed her again. "I'll pack my stuff meanwhile. I'll see you soon."

She walked back home while the sun was setting. It was all the way down once she got back. Both Mark and Kane were waiting for her.

"Do you have any idea how worried we were?" Kane stood with her phone in his hand. "You left your phone here so we couldn't call you. I'm very disappointed in you, young lady."

She hated being called young lady. The words had never sounded right to her but they sounded even worse than ever today.

"I wasn't gone that long," Marigold said.  
"It doesn't matter," Kane said.  
"Did you say goodbye to little lover boy?" Mark asked.  
"I'm actually gonna move in with him," Marigold said.  
"Oh, hell no!" Mark raised his voice.  
"You can't stop me," Marigold said.  
"Try me," Mark said.  
"I remember everything about the fire. I remember everything they did to me leading up that point. I know I started it, and I know you covered it up. No more secrets. Seth knows too. I told him," Marigold said.

She walked past them and headed for the stairs.

"I'm grateful for all you've done but I need to do this for myself. I'm gonna pack my stuff and then I'll be out of your way," Marigold said.

She ran up the stairs and into her room. Kane still had her phone but she could get that back by the end. She grabbed her wallet and put it in her back pocket. Arms suddenly grabbed her and yanked her back.

"You're not going anywhere!" Mark growled.  
"Let me go!" Marigold yelled.  
"We gotta do it, Mark," Kane said.  
"Do what?" Marigold asked.  
"I wish it hadn't come to this," Mark said.

Mark dragged Marigold out of her room and down the hallway. Kane opened the door to the attic and pulled down the stairs. Marigold started fighting even more. If she went up there, she wouldn't be able to get down on her own. It couldn't be opened from upstairs with the bolt lock on this side. Mark didn't seem to care about her fighting. He managed to drag her up the stairs without dropping her. He threw her on a mattress on the floor. She was surprised to find a mattress up there, and not only that. There was also a pillow, a blanket and a bottle of water.

"You planned for this," Marigold said.  
"We had to when you decided to take off with him earlier," Kane said.  
"I can't believe you remember any of it. We did everything we could to make you forget," Mark said.  
"Don't lock me up here. You can't do this to me," Marigold said.  
"We have to. It's for your own good. No one can know the truth. You didn't seem to think about us in all this. Our jobs are on the line. We will go to jail if anyone finds out. But like a selfish little brat, you didn't stop to think about us in all this," Mark said.  
"Don't hurt him," Marigold pleaded. "Please, don't hurt him."  
"We won't," Kane said.  
"But we will have to do some damage control," Mark said.

Both men walked back to the attic door.

"Don't worry, we're not gonna let you sit and rot up here," Mark said. "We'll come let you out to use the bathroom and get some food. Prove yourself to us again. If we feel like we can trust you again, we'll let you out. Until then you gotta be up here and think about what you've done."


	5. We're gonna be alright

Seth drove up to Mark's house right after the sun had risen. Everything seemed off to him. He had called Marigold countless times but her phone had remained shut off the entire night. Maybe she had second thoughts about uprooting her entire life like that for a man she hardly knew but he doubted it. And even if she did, he wanted answers before leaving.

Mark came out of his house with his police uniform on. He might be the sheriff of this town but he didn't scare Seth. Seth knew the truth. He could have Mark's badge any day if he chose to move forward with this story. Not that he would do that to Marigold. Seth left his car and strode up the driveway.

"Mark!" Seth barked.

Mark sighed as he turned to look at Seth who stood there with his arms crossed.

"What do you want, boy?" Mark asked.  
"I want to talk to Marigold," Seth answered.  
"She's not here," Mark said.  
"Bullshit!" Seth said firmly.  
"We had to commit her again last night," Mark said.

Seth's arms dropped. That was not the answer he had been expecting.

"She's not mentally well," Mark said. "She has paranoid schizophrenia. She makes up stories that she truly believes. Apparently she thinks she's a victim of a fire that took place here many years ago. I personally watched that little girl leave with her adoptive parents back then. But once Marigold gets off her medication, she can't control it. Her brain takes over and makes up stories. That's why I was so angry last night. I discovered earlier that she wasn't taking her meds. I'm sorry, Seth."

Seth wavered. He wasn't sure whether or not to believe Mark.

"Where is she committed?" Seth asked.  
"Up at the asylum," Mark answered. "You can visit her in a month. They're not allowed any visitors the first month until they get her under control and back on her meds. Last time she was there four months before I got her home again. Take my advice, Seth. Don't have children. There's nothing but heartbreak in that."  
"I..." Seth felt confused. "I gotta go. I'm driving back today. I have to get back to work Monday. Tell her... Shit, I don't know. Tell her I'm sorry."  
"Will do," Mark said. "Safe travel home."

Seth walked back to his car. He looked back at Mark who nodded in another direction. Seth turned his head to see Kane had come out of his house next door and was nodding back.

"You're fucking bullshitting me!" Seth growled to himself. "I know it!"

He chose to play along. He drove down the street and turned the corner. He needed the two men to think he had left. He parked the car and waited. He kept staring at the clock in his car. He waited 30 long minutes before turning the car around and driving back. Mark's car was gone and so was Kane's in the other driveway.

He left his car and walked around the house to look for a way in. It probably wasn't the smartest choice to break into a sheriff's house. If he found nothing in there, he would drive out of state as fast as he could. He picked up a stone and threw it through the sliding glass door. The hole was big enough for him to get his hand through, unlock the door and slide it to the side. He stepped inside and listened. Nothing but silence.

"Goldie?" He yelled. "Are you here?"

He moved quickly from room to room downstairs. He looked in every hiding spot he could think of. He ran up the stairs to continue his search.

"Goldie?" He yelled again. "Please, answer!"

He walked into what looked like her room. He threw himself down on the floor to look under the bed.

"Seth!" She yelled.

Her voice seemed to come from another room. He stepped out in the hallway again.

"Goldie? Where are you?" He yelled.  
"Seth!" She yelled. "I'm over here!"

He heard what sounded like someone stomping their foot in the attic. He ran to the noise and stared up at the door. Those two bastards had locked her up there. He pushed the bolt lock aside and pulled down the stairs. She almost came tumbling down with the speed she set. He caught her in his arms so she didn't fall and hurt herself.

"You came for me," she said.  
"Of course," he said.  
"They won't let me leave," she said.  
"They went to work. I think it's safe to say that we're far away once they come back and see you're gone," he said.

He pushed the stairs back up and the bolt lock back in place.

"Might as well mess a bit with them and have them search the attic for you," he said.

He took her hand and laced their fingers together.

"Ready to do this?" He asked.  
"I got my wallet. They don't know I have it on me. They took my phone but I still got my credit card," she said.  
"We'll buy a new phone once we reach Iowa," he said.  
"And clothes. I don't wanna spend time packing. Sometimes they drive by while working or come home for lunch. Let's just get the fuck out of here while we still can," she said.  
"Sounds good to me," he said.

He leaned down with a smile and kissed her. He wanted her final memory of this house to be a happy one. A kiss was all he could think of. He moved towards the stairs and pulled her with him. They made it to the broken glass door and she couldn't help but giggle.

"You broke in just to get me?" She asked.  
"You're worth it, goldie. Didn't I say that when we first met? That you're made of gold and worth more than any other woman out there?" He chuckled.  
"This is crazy," she said.  
"I know," he said.

They hurried around the garden and into his car. He started the car and drove away. He looked over to see her chew nervously on a finger nail. He gently grabbed her wrist and pulled the finger away from her teeth before she would damage herself.

"Are you alright?" He asked.  
"I'm scared," she answered.  
"I know," he said. "But I promise you once we get over state line, Mark can't do shit. And he's a smart man. He won't come for you. He knows you're sitting on the biggest secret of his life and that you can blow his entire life to pieces. He won't do that. He's gonna admit defeat and let you go. But maybe change your surname to be on the safe side in case you decide to go on social medias."

She smiled at him, took his hand and brought it to her lips to kiss it.

"I'm gonna be alright with you in my life, aren't I?" She asked.  
"Damn straight, you will," he grinned.  
"Well, out with Calaway. I don't wanna go back to being a Simpson again. And it's way too soon to even be thinking about the Rollins name," she said.  
"One day if you behave," he joked.  
"Oh, shut up!" She laughed. "I'll figure it out. We got a long drive. We can test names as we go."

He caressed the top of her hand.

"Let me see what I got," he said. "Marigold Stevenson? Anderson? Jenkins? Harrison? This could be a fun road game actually."  
"It could," she relaxed in her seat. "I'm gonna be alright. We're gonna be alright."

She nodded to herself and smiled blissfully. He knew everything he felt in his heart, she felt the same too.

"We're gonna be alright," he agreed.


End file.
